Fast and Furious

Swimming World and Junior Swimmer, Jan 2004 by Jacob, Judy

The fall high school swimming season, covering meets in October and November, produced one national independent school record and lots of fast swimming.

Girls Events

In the very first event of the Florida 1A High School Championships, held Nov. 1 in Sebastian, the quartet of Anja Carman, Katie McGraw, Katie Hanson and Yi-Ting Slow lowered the national independent record in the 200 yard medley relay with their 1:45.16. They bettered the 1:45.33 mark that had jointly been held by Bolles (1992) and Germantown (2000). Carman (26.11 back) and McGraw (29.04 breast) are seniors; Hanson (25.77 fly) and Siow (24.41 free) are juniors. Their running splits: 26.11, 55.15, 1:20.92, 1:45.33.

Two weeks later, Arrowhead High School of Heartland, Wis., went even faster. Sophomores Andrea Boritzke and Maggie Zblewski, along with junior Stephanie Landisch and freshman Stephanie Fisher clocked 1:44.20 at the Wisconsin Division I Championships. That time currently leads the nation, but it is not a record. Arrowhead is a public school, and the national public school-as well as national high school-record is 1:43.71, set in 2002 by Irvine high School, Calif.

Individually, swimmers from Bolles lead the nation in three events: Carman in the 500 free (4:44.63) and 100 back (54.94) plus Siow in the 200 IM (1:59.91). Teammate Stephanie Carr ranks second in the 200 free (1:49.04) and 500 free (4:44.85).

Four early season nation-leading times were swum at the Illinois Girls High School Championships, Nov. 21-22, in Winnetka. Loyola Academy senior Rachel Ridgeway turned in a nation-leading time in the 200 free (1:49.04), while Centennial junior Payton Johnson's prelim performance of 54.87 is No. 1 in the 100 fly.

Top times were also swum in both freestyle relays, with Lake Forest doing the honors. Junior Lindsey Kelly, seniors Lisa Hamming and Amy Ottensmeyer, and sophomore Agatha Kwasnik combined for a 1:34.86 preliminary clocking in the 200 free relay. Sophomore Carly Beck replaced Kelly on the 400 free relay (3:28.63).

The remaining No. 1 girls' times came from meets in Washing-ton. Bainbridge High School senior Emily Silver is tops in the 50 free (22.99) and 100 free (50.16). Oak Harbor junior Missy McIntyre leads the 100 breast (1:02.39).

Boys Events

Top men's times came from meets in Florida and Arizona.

Gulf Breeze High School senior Kyle Cormier narrowly defeated Bolles School junior Tuck Kar Wong in the 200 free at the Florida Division 1 Championships as the duo grabbed the top two nation-leading spots (1:40.47 and 1:40.59).

Wong's classmate, Yi-Khy Saw, has a narrow lead in the 500 free (4:29.70) over Division 3 state champ, Bradley Ally, a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas (4:29.96p). Ally is currently first in the 200IM (1:49.71).

Also competing at the Division 3 Championships, Lyman sophomore Alex Forbes nabbed the first-place time in the 100 fly (49.87).

During the Arizona 5A High School Championships, which took place Nov. 8-9 at Arizona State University in Tempe, Scott Goodrich nabbed two No. 1 times (50 free, 20.48; 100 back, 49.37), while Dobson senior Ryan Kiley grabbed the top position in the 100 breast (57.40).

Brophy Prep swimmers lead the nation in all three relays. Juniors Alex Righi (who is first in the 100 free with his 45.96) and Ryan Key, as well as seniors Jon Ehret and Braiden Hall, captured the top spot in the 200 medley (1:34.35). Seniors A.J. Grucky and KyIe Shores took over for Righi and Ehret in the 200 free (1:26.25), and the squad of Ehret, junior David Pursley, Righi and Shores combined for a 3:05.57 in the 400 free.

The majority of state high school meets take place in February, with a few-including perennial powerhouse California-occurring in May.